In the Clutches of The Enemy
by Sally B. Mcgill
Summary: A one-shot of an alternate ending of Volume 5, Episode 14 – Haven's Fate. What if when Hazel and the rest of Salem's forces were escaping, they managed to knock out and grab Oscar to take him with him?
1. Chapter 1

In the Clutches of The Enemy

 **A/N: I honestly don't know where this came from, I thought of it out of the blue and ran with it. Will be a one-shot, but will add more if enough people ask for it.**

…

 _Get up, Oscar._

Oscar wasn't sure why but he felt groggy and cold. Under him, he felt a rocking motion, like he was being swung in some contraption and that confused his disoriented mind. Why was his bed moving like that? It never had before. And it felt significantly less comfortable like he was lying on a very thin carpet on the floor instead.

 _Oscar, you must wake up._

Another thing he noticed was that his head and wrists hurt. His wrist was like that of constant burning, like something acidic was wrapped around his hands and his head pounded like he had the world's worse headache. Since pairing with Ozpin, he has had a few of those, but never this bad. This time it was like someone busted his head open and his brain was being slapped at constantly.

 _Oscar, please._

Oscar paused his sightless exploration of his surroundings when he heard the pleading quality of a man's voice. Why did that sound familiar? Why did he feel like listening to that voice was essential to his health right now? Why did he think equals amounts of trust and annoyance right now?

 _Oscar!_

Then Oscar's eyes snapped open. He jerked up, so he was sitting, breathing heavily as he tried to get over the shock of hearing a shout in his head. It took a solid minute before he realized his wrists were tied together and he was in a dark place. The boy looked around, panicking more and more as he realized he was stuck in an enclosed space with no apparent way out. Where was he?

He could hear a deep sigh of relief in his head. _Oscar. It's good to see you awake, I was worried you were mentally damaged somehow._

"Ozpin?" The boy asked, voice coming out hoarse and confused. He clears his throat before he spoke again. "What's going on? Where are we and why… why the heck are we tied up?!" He could comprehend that now, feel something extremely hot and dangerous keeping his hands together, preventing him from moving. There were small holes in the box, allowing a little light, but not enough for Oscar to see around his surrounding or determine his current status.

There was another sigh in his head. This time it held no relief, the only dread of the conversation to come. _Do you remember anything that happened before?_

Oscar nodded in the dark, slowly recalling everything that happened out loud. "We were called by Lionheart. He said he had a breakthrough with the council and wanted us to meet him. You and Qrow thought it was too suspicious, that it may be a trap. It was. Salem's forces were there, and so was Raven Branwen, Qrow's sister. Everyone was fighting someone, and we went to fight Leo. Then Weiss got stabbed and Hazel…" The boy frowned as he tried to recall exactly how the rest of the evening had gone down. "You took control of me even though I said you shouldn't. I don't remember what happened after that."

 _Oscar_ … He could hear the regret and sadness in Ozpin's voice now.

Shaking his head, Oscar asked lowly, "Why would you do that? You said I had to fight on my own and you promised you would ask my permission before you took control over my own body away from me. Why would you do the opposite then?"

 _Oscar, I understood Hazel. I knew how he would come after you and I couldn't run the risk of him hurting you. I_ — There was a brief moment of hesitation on the man in his head's part before he spoke again — _I couldn't let anything happen to you. I care too much for your wellbeing to risk your life by allowing you fight Hazel._

The boy could hear the sincerity and honest fear in the former headmaster's voice, and it scared him a little. He was used to Ozpin little hints and usually hard lessons, but to be told to his face (so to speak) that the man cared about him, even though they hadn't been bonded for long and were usually at ends when it didn't concern saving lives? That kind of set off alarm bells in the kid's head, which did nothing to help a headache by the way.

 _I am sorry, though. Please believe me when I say that I didn't take the choice or control away from you because I was trying to hurt you._

Oscar sighed as he bent over his bounded wrist, squinting at the ground as he tried to think. "I know that. Just…try to make sure it doesn't happen again. I have to be able to trust you, Ozpin."

 _You have my word._

The boy nodded then gestured towards their surrounding as best as he could with tied hands. "So, how'd we get here? Where are we?"

He could almost feel the desire not to answer on Ozpin's part, the fact that the man wasn't immediately informing Oscar of their situation speaks volumes. "Ozpin, what happened?"

 _I was overpowered. Leo and Hazel worked together to take me down and, despite Qrow and the other students' assistance, they succeeded. We're currently being taken back to their headquarters. They are taking us back to Salem._

Oscar felt as though he had been punched in the stomach. He'd been merged with Ozpin long enough to know this was more than an unfortunate turn of events. The same way the boy could tell Hazel was someone to be wary of, he remembered being taken to Salem was the last nail in his coffin. He may as well have his death warrant signed now. And that was assuming the woman would be merciful and just kill him.

 _Oscar, you must stay calm._

"Calm?" Oscar asked in disbelief. "You want me to stay calm? In case you haven't noticed, we're going to meet Salem! As in, your mortal enemy that wants you dead. And I'm you, so she wants us both dead!"

 _She won't kill us. It's not her style, especially during opportunities like these. She'll use this opportunity to her advantage. She'll need information only I can provide. And she'll use any means to get it._

"And then?" Oscar asked, already knowing what will happen to them once their usefulness is outlived. Ozpin's silence spoke for itself. Desperately trying to distract himself, Oscar quickly asked, "Is everyone else okay? Qrow? Ruby?"

 _As far as I can tell, we were the only ones taken. From the conversations I overheard between Mercury and Hazel, Emerald is unconscious, Cinder is possibly dead and Leo—_

Ozpin abruptly stopped speaking, but the farm boy got the gist of it. Leo Lionheart was killed. All things considered, this shouldn't affect them the way it was. The man had betrayed them, doing his best to take them down and had actually succeeded in helping to capture them. Ozpin shouldn't be mourning him, but he did. Because the man was once a trusted friend. Oscar could feel all that and couldn't help but grieve Lionheart as well. Just a bit.

He also noticed how tired he felt, physically and mentally. He thought he could sleep for months despite the circumstances he was in.

 _That would be because of all the fighting we did. Despite the improvement in your skills and the fact that our bond is growing stronger, we weren't ready for a fight like that. Especially against someone as perpetually strong as Hazel was. Although I do commend you for your match against Lionheart._

Oscar could feel his eyes closing, body going into REM cycle without his permission. "Oz, what are we supposed to do? What if they—"

 _Do not worry, Oscar. I will not allow you to suffer in any case. If I must be in control of your body at all times, I will. But I assure you now, no matter what may happen, I will get us both out of this._

"Promis'?" Oscar asked as he fell over, his eyes finally closing for good.

 _I promise, Oscar._ The quiet voice said in his head. And then the boy knew no more.

…

When Oscar woke up again, he was in a cell. There was enough light from the room itself and the moon coming in through his window for him to see the bars and notice the chains to his feet and hands. He felt around the harden floors and walls, not sure where exactly he was again.

 _I would gander we're in Salem's resting place. Notice the colors all around us? The black, white, red and purple are all Grimm shades, and so is she._

Oscar nodded, a little relieved that Ozpin was up and talking to him. Even if he was putting on a brave face, he didn't really want to be alone right now.

"Have… Have you ever been in a situation like this? Or one of your other reincarnations?" The boy asked shakingly.

Ozpin didn't answer for a few moment. _Once. And since then, I have made it my mission to stop myself and my host from ever ending up here again. You may understand why I take this failure personally._

Oscar couldn't stop himself from shuddering at the harsh self-reprimand in the man's voice. He was really beating himself up over this. "It's not your fault, Oz. They cheated and worked together. You did your best."

 _Yet, it wasn't enough._

Oscar wasn't sure how to respond to that, so he stayed quiet for a while. After a long time, he finally whispered, "When do you think someone will come for us? Or will it be Salem herself?"

 _Knowing her, she'll be here to personally gloat and make clear what she will do to us now that we're in her grasp. I will need you to be brave, Oscar. I will find a way out of this for us._

The farm boy nodded, sighing to himself and watching the shadows outside his cell. Someone would come soon. Whether it was Salem to interrogate him or Hazel to kill him, he would be strong. He refused to let them see him cry.

It wasn't long before she glided forward from the shadows like she appeared to form from thin air. She was terrifying and beautiful, her white hair and skin marred with black. She had on a long black dress, and her eyes were black and red. On her face was a small smile that spoke of victory and malicious delight. Oscar watched her, face expressionless as she turned her head down, so they locked eyes.

"Well, Ozpin." She said in a clear and ear-pleasing voice, raising a hand up as a group of small Grimm appeared behind her. "Shall we begin?"

…

 **So, that's all I could think of. If I write another chapter, it will be a time skip to Oscar's rescue by Qrow and team RWBY and JNR. Let me know if you want to see that.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Okay, the people who chose to review asked for a part 2, and here it is. It was difficult to write, honestly, and I did my best to make sure it didn't show. Sorry it took so long, got distracted by starting on a Yugioh Zexal fanfic, which should be published soon. Enjoy, and tell me what you think.**

 **Rescue by the Ones You Trust**

…

 _Oscar._

Oscar didn't know what day it was. The time seemed to blur into one continuous moment, minutes feeling like hours and days feeling like months. It didn't help that he didn't have a clock to look at and it seemed like it was always night here.

 _Oscar, stay with me._

Every moment was full of pain. Everything seemed to hurt, his arms and legs, his throat (from all the yelling both himself and Oz did), even his hair hurt right then. That Salem was just that skilled, it would seem.

She had been relentless since that first day (or night? The kid still couldn't tell), doing everything she thought of to get Oz to spill. Not just the locations of the other relics, but the people he had rewarded magic to and any other things that may be a threat to her forces.

The first night, she made them fight, sending Grimm after Grimm into their cell until they were just too weak and tired to fight. Then, when the beasts had finished having their fun with him, it had been these weird… inventions that spat electricity, hot water, and basically anything that could maim and hurt.

While Ozpin took over whenever Salem showed and took the full force of the torture she subjected them to, he couldn't stop the inevitable switch between the two souls. Then Oscar would feel every bruise, every bleeding cut, every broken bone (there were three so far). And he would fall asleep to the constant ache and Ozpin's barrage of apologies.

His mind felt disoriented, his thoughts escaping him no matter how hard he tried to think. His brain was still capable of processing things, he just didn't have the energy to concentrate. He was too focused on trying to keep breathing and not falling under permanently to really do anything else.

It was hard to keep his eyes open. They were glassy and Oscar had to fight to keep them from drooping.

Sometimes he would hallucinate. Instead of Salem, the person at his cell would be his aunt, looking down at him with severe disappointment in her eyes. He had left her out of the blue and without a goodbye. Only a note saying he had to do this. She took her under her roof, she had deserved more than that. But it wasn't like he had had a choice at the time.

At times he saw Hazel instead of Salem. The man would stare at him as he huddled shivering in the corner, eyes looking down at him with clear pity in his eyes. Unless Oz took over. Then a vicious sneer would be on his face and he would grumble clearly, "You deserve this, Ozpin. You deserve this and more. For everyone you've ever gotten injured and killed." And then he would turn his back on them and leave them to their suffering.

One thing Oscar noticed was that Salem took her time with her distribution of pain. Before she even started the questioning, she would make them hurt. More than a full day of training could ever induce. Then, when it felt like they couldn't take it anymore, the interrogation would begin. And it would get worse.

Once in a while, Oscar would debate just putting an end to it all. That the suffering was too much to handle, that it just wasn't work surviving for. Then Ozpin would step in, bombarding his mind with happy moments and reminder of their friends. Qrow Branwen, the other students and their time at the inn they were staying in. Those little but significant moments with Ruby Rose that motivated him to become what he must. And then Oscar would find the strength to hang on for another day, another week (or his perception of such time, since he didn't have a clock).

So far the only time Oscar had heard Oz speak was when he was talking to him. Otherwise he was also eerily quiet. No matter what she did, he never screamed or yelled. He only clenched his fist and bared it. And always made sure to talk him through the pain.

 _Oscar, wake up. Please._

Oscar groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. He was laying face down on the floor, his head turned to face the bars of his cell. Everything hurt, even his ears. He felt so tired, even though he just woke up.

 _Oscar, are you still functioning? Speak to me, please._

"O-Ozpin? Is that you?" He asked, unable to move despite the pain in his neck. His voice was barely a whisper, probably low enough that no one but the man in his head would hear him.

 _Yes. Don't move, I'll take over momentarily and activate your aura to alleviate the worse of the injuries._

"Sure." He said dazedly, too weak to make any sort of argument he could do things himself. He felt Oz take over and soon felt their aura engage and wash over them. He felt the pain lessen and a feeling of relief wash over him as the cuts healed and the other wounds lessened. After control was back the farm boy sat up, groaning as he rubbed his head and attempted to think around the less-painful-but-still-pounding headache. "Are you okay? That last attack on you seemed brutal. And I think the injuries we suffered speak for themselves."

Oz was quiet for a few moments _. I am… still optimal. Believe me, Salem isn't putting me through anything I haven't handled before. My concern is solely on your continued well-being and survival._

Oscar was silent for a moment, staring out the window as he hesitantly spoke up about what he had been thinking about for a while. "We… we're not getting out of this, are we?"

There was another delay in answering for that inquiry too. _No, I don't think so. Salem is being very careful right now and I don't think she'll allow any vulnerability in her fortress to allow for us to escape._

The boy was silent, not really surprised with the answer, but still feeling much despair over it. Is this the end for him? Oz would come back in someone else, but he, Oscar, would die in this dark, depressing cell being tortured.

 _Don't lose hope, Oscar. Even if we can't escape ourselves, there's still Qrow and the other students._

"Wait, what? How would they even be able to find us?" Oscar asked.

 _You know Qrow's ability. He is one of my most effective and trusted spies for Salem activity. I have no doubt that eventually, he will find us and get us out of here. All I need is for you to keep fighting to live. Please._

The farm kid could feel the faith Oz had in the shaggy huntsman and couldn't help but wonder what had garnered such friendship and trust between the two. What exactly happened to make Qrow a loyal lieutenant and Raven turn her back on her duties?

 _It's complicated. All I can say is that Qrow is very much like you and me. He puts the protection of the people before himself. Some people, like Raven, however… choose to ensure their survival above all others._

Oscar sighed as he thought about how Qrow had willingly put his life on the line to keep him safe when he was fighting Hazel. The man had allowed himself to get hurt numerous times without a second thought, while his sister had sided with the enemy and runoff to who knows where. And he found that he believed in Ozpin's words. If anyone would rescue them, it would be Qrow.

The man in his head waited for him to finish his train of thought before he spoke again. _You should get some rest now, Oscar, while you have a moment from Salem's presence. I will make sure you're okay until Qrow comes for us._

Oscar nodded, laying back down and facing away from the bars. "Can you tell me about one of your other reincarnations? A happy one."

 _Of course, Oscar_. And he spun a tale about childhood friends and magnificent adventures until the boy finally fell into the arms of Morpheus.

…

It was another ten torture sessions before Qrow came from them. Ozpin realized it before he did.

After Salem had left them again, looking mildly displeased, he had rolled over to look out the window again. In some weird way, the constant sight of gloom and horror was comforting after having to deal with something new and agonizing for however long he had been trapped in his cell.

Anyway, he had turned to see a black bird at his window. His vision was a little blurry at the time so at first he had thought it was another small Grimm Salem had sent to the prison. When he was finally able to see it properly, he couldn't comprehend what it was doing here. Beside the humans here (and whatever Salem was), there were no other living creatures who would dare enter whatever dark corner of the universe they were in.

It was staring at him with an intensity that he didn't understand, like it knew what he was being put through.

Oscar was unable to contain his gasp as he felt the powerful surge of recognition and relief coming from Ozpin. _Qrow._

The boy looked up, almost afraid he was dreaming or hallucinating again. "Qrow?"

The bird gave a cry before it hopped through the window. Then suddenly the man was there beside him, looking more serious then Oscar had ever seen him. "Well, you look like you've seen better days, Oz. You okay, kid?"

Oscar did his best to nod from his position on the floor, still attempting to catch his breath. The black-haired huntsman stroked his hair with a gentleness Oscar had never felt from the man before. "Don't worry, kid. We'll get you out."

The boy swallowed as he shrugged to speak, "Oz… wants to… know if… you're all… okay."

Qrow shook his head, a small smile on his face. "Of course he does. And we're fine, Oz. Relic secured and everyone safe and sound. Don't worry, our team's in position so we can get you out without anyone else being hurt or taken. The Arc kid will fix you two up, okay?"

"Yeah… okay." Was the answer he gave as he struggled to stay awake. He felt a slight tap on his face and his eyes fluttered opening to see Qrow's concerned face. "Hey, stay with me, kid. Don't go down for the count just yet, alright? I'll be back soon." Then he was flying out the window with great speed.

Meanwhile, the boy was turning back to face the bars, absently waiting for the rescue and remain conscious. He could fell Ozpin in his mind, trying to help him stay alert, but it was difficult. After weeks or months of using their aura to heal the damages inflicted on them, they just didn't have enough. Neither did Oz have the strength to take over for Oscar seeing as he hadn't rested since the day they fought Hazel.

Soon, they could hear a commotion outside, the sound of multiple guns and weapons being wielded and the growls and shouts of the humans and Grimm. Not long after that, he could see with blurred vision a blonde man in a suit of armor and a red and black-haired girl with red all over. Ruby Rose and Jaune Arc.

"Oscar!" He heard her call, swiping her scythe through the bars with ease and rushing inside to kneel beside him, lifting his head to the top of his knees. Oscar could see the worry on her face.

He sensed more than heard Jaune come beside him too, putting down his weapon as he examined him. "He's not looking good. I would start to fortify his aura now, but it would be better if we were somewhere safe and I could concentrate." They shared a nod before getting to their feet, Jaune placing him on his shoulders to give him a piggyback ride.

The farm kid did his best to remain awake while resting against Jaune's back. He could see bodies of dead Grimm scattered all over the place, unconscious underlings. Eventually, they meant up with the other members of the group, which were huddled near a hidden corner and waiting for them.

"Everyone ready? Now let's get out of here before the crazy lady and her pawns find us." Next thing he knew, they were crashing through the windows. Without knowing why, Oscar found his eyes subconsciously drift up to see Salem. As though the atmosphere had slowed down and the world just became her and him, he watched her for what felt like forever. He watched as a slow cruel smirk appeared on her face. A smile that clearly said, "This isn't over, Ozpin. Not by a long shot." And then everything went black and Oscar knew no more.

…

"Is he going to be okay?" Qrow turned to face his niece, who hadn't taken her eyes off the kid since Jaune had finished healing (or helping to heal) him. It had been about a full day since they had gotten the poor boy out of Salem's realm, and he had been more than a little worse for wear by the time they had gotten to a safe and secure location.

His breath had been low and struggled, and in the light, you could see every scar, cut and contusion Salem had inflicted on him. And it had only been about a month and a half since the kid was taken from Haven.

With Jaune's semblance, he had been looking a lot better before the hour was finished, but he still continued to rest despite his improved help. Qrow slightly suspected the emotional trauma was affecting him just as badly as the physical wounds.

He could see the anxiety and care on Ruby's face as he watched over Oscar. Qrow had had a hunch that something was up between the two. From the first moment they seemed to bond over their "first time meeting…" thing, they had little moments and talks that meant more than even they appeared to know. Since the moment he was taken, the girl had been demanding they find him, training and pushing herself to be prepared to infiltrate the domain of the enemy and rescue the kid.

Qrow wasn't sure if this thing between them was something they were aware of or if it would develop into something more, but he could clearly see how much the two cared about the other. Ruby hung out with the kid more than she did with Oz.

He sighed before he replied gravely, "I don't know, kiddo. I just don't know." He took a moment to look back at the barely teenage they had laid on the bed of their new place, seeing as the old one had probably been compromised by Leo.

He watched as his niece reached out to take one of the hands that were lying beside her on the bed in two of hers. Qrow couldn't help another sigh as he wiped his hand down his face. He wasn't nearly drunk enough to figure out how that relationship was supposed to work. "Look, kiddo, we got him back. That's the first step to him healing. All we can do now is let him process and recover and be there for him as much as we can when he wakes up. We still got a job to do, alright?"

Ruby nodded, sadness almost too mature for someone her age appearing on her face. "Yeah, I know. I guess I just… I wasn't sure what condition we'd find him, but I had hope that Professor Ozpin would make sure he was okay. I know that's not fair, I'm just sad he's like this."

The shaggy huntsman huffed, taking a drink of his flask. "Trust me, sweetheart. Oz is probably kicking himself right now from not doing that exact thing. I won't tell you the kid's condition could have been worse if Oz hadn't been looking out for him, but I will tell you that the only reason he was sane enough to still listen to me and recognize us was because his mind was still intact. The kid will get better, and then he and Ozpin will lead us to save the people of Remnant. That, I can guarantee."

Ruby turned to smile at her black-haired uncle, "Thanks uncle Qrow. You always know what to say."

…

 _Deep into the center of Oscar's mind, where no one else could even hope to see, he blankly sat cross-legged in the center of the shattered mess that acted as the remains of his mind. It was just as mangled as his physical state had been, although it included corners that had been corrupted by dark thoughts._

 _Sitting beside him, arm wrapped around him to lean the boy against his shoulder, was Ozpin. He stared down at the boy with deep regret and determination on his face. He wouldn't let Salem win this one. It would take some time of course to heal, but his new form would get better. He wouldn't let another young mind be ruined because of her._

 _Hugging the boy close to his chest, the man whispered surely, "Don't worry, Oscar. I'll fulfill my promise and you will be in top condition again. I promise."_

…

 **In case you were wondering, the last bit was to answer why he may be unconscious for some time. He needs to heal mentally from all he's been through and Oz is going to help him do that. So here it is, part 2. Hope you enjoyed the Rosegarden moment at the end and the whole Qrow as his parent thing. Yes, I made the torture vague in a few parts because I said I wanted it to mostly be about the rescue, but hopefully you got the gist of what Oscar and Ozpin was put through.**

 **Please don't ask for a part 3, I really wanted to just stop here as I would be sure what it would be about. Still got other stories I need to focus on and write out. But please, review and tell me what you think. Have a wonderful day.**


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